Body of work
A professional web design service should come to you with a reputation that is almost too good to be true. The first thing that you need to look for in a potential partner is what their design approach is. The easiest way to do this is to visit the web design Singapore company website. You’re bound to find some projects that have been worked on. Take a look at those websites and see how you feel about what you’re seeing. Better still, visit those clients and have a conversation with them about the design firm. An impressive body of work is an indication of many things, not least of them the competence and involvement of a design firm. If you can spot awards, that’s a pretty good gauge of capability too. Apart from this, take a serious look at the responses the company site has received. It may give you further clues about what the company is made of. A rich portfolio is nothing but an asset for you. Perhaps you’ll be able to get a sense of the design aesthetic of the company. If you see totally different work with each client, it’s another indication that the company would get on board with your idea and plans for your line of work.
Additional Services
Apart from web site design, what else can the company do for you? Is it SEO savvy, and can it help your business in that way? A good web design company understands how dynamic the industry and it’s needs are and is always moving with the times. It does not depend on HTML, changes its approach for every client, and has the ability to adapt at quick notice. Some web design companies focus specifically on mobile apps. Others may give you a whole bouquet of services-from custom-built marketing tools to easy migration of the existing website. Getting the web design company to give you more also helps concentrate your energy in one avenue. This could include on-going maintenance, digital marketing, and refreshing site information periodically. All this, in turn, makes getting results and chasing design deadlines easier. It makes sense to put all your web design requirements in the hands of one service provider.
Listening and responding
The best web design companies certainly have a whole host of ideas. You have a clear idea of what your website should look like as well. How do you reconcile the two? Watch how the designer listens. Ideally, they must be open to your ideas and offer their own suggestions with authority, not arrogance or diffidence. This sets a good precedence. The next thing to look out for is how the company responds to emails from you. The initial emails you send are enough indication of the seriousness or interest of the company. This second point is vital because you don’t want to end up chasing anyone to get your work done. They should be able to respect your deadlines and work with a time schedule that’s mutually beneficial to both. Rapport building is necessary for a long term association.
Responsive Design
No matter the size of the business, the plan should always be to get the customer no matter where they are. The customer could be on the phone, the tablet, the computer, or any other device. The website should be able to respond to the requirement of the device and adapt its dimensions and content accordingly. This concept, known as responsive design, is at the heart of good web design. The designer creates a single site, but that site responds completely differently to each device. Each aspect offers the best experience to the viewer. For instance, a computer doesn’t offer a horizontal view. But with a tablet or phone, that is possible. Consider a site that’s video and picture heavy. It will take a while to open up on the phone because the loading time is more. The same goes for downloads too.
The website also needs to move when touched. Most customers accessing information on the phone do the finger swipe from side to side. If you need an app, that will have to be designed differently too. Thus, a professional web design service should offer responsive design. This increases the reach of your business and your work. In fact, an overwhelming number of customers is now looking for information on their phone. The company you approach should be well-versed with the technology needed for this. CMS is a popular choice for responsive website design. Find out if the company is in the know of these things before you proceed.
The company’s online presence
This might seem strange but think about it. A company that’s active online, on social media and other venues, is a walking talking advertisement for your business. As a bid to increase their own viewership, companies showcase their best work online. Your website is bound to show up in a whole host of places that may not be directly connected to your line of work. This gives you unexpected visitors and maybe even some lucrative leads. If you think about it, a professional web design service should have a lively online presence. Their own website will tell you about the quality of their work- be it design, color choices, and content.
Another avenue for you to explore is the online reviews the company may or may not receive. Reviews are very telling about the quality of work, something the design firm may not want to share with potential clients upfront. A review may tell you things like the behavior of the people involved, the level of professionalism they may or may not possess, and the kind of business practices that the company might indulge in.
Online presence also has another side- depending on what site it is, it appeals to a different set of potential customers. For instance, Instagram is where the young crowd hangs out. YouTube has a much larger reach and cuts across all sections of society. Facebook and Twitter appeal to people who often seek content and messaging. A website design firm can adapt its content to suit the reader or viewer. This gives you even wider reach than just having your content on your own business site.
Author: Shu
Bio: Shu is the Director, Brand Communication & Client Relations of One X Tech. She supports clients in digital transformations, with a particular focus on consumer businesses and leads the efforts in growing new capabilities and partnerships.
